


Annual Wayne Enterprises Take Your Kid to Work Day

by pennysparrow



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, Batman and Robin (Comics), DCU (Comics), Nightwing (Comics), Red Robin (Comics)
Genre: Gen, take your kid to work day at we, this is pretty fluffy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-28
Updated: 2017-12-28
Packaged: 2019-02-23 05:14:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,519
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13183098
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pennysparrow/pseuds/pennysparrow
Summary: Bruce has Tim, Damian, and Dick all coming to WE for the day and he's a bit nervous over what kind of mess they might make.





	Annual Wayne Enterprises Take Your Kid to Work Day

**Author's Note:**

  * For [renecdote](https://archiveofourown.org/users/renecdote/gifts).



> This was written for the Batfam Gen Christmas Stocking for TantalumColbat! I hope that you enjoy it!

Bruce had mixed feelings about “Take Your Child to Work Day” at Wayne Enterprises. Seeing his employees smiling as their children trailed after them warmed his heart. It was amusing to watch the folks in accounting patiently explain spreadsheets to their five-year-olds or marketing where the kids used the state of the art graphic design programs to make portraits of their pets. He ensured that all the kids had the opportunity to tour the whole facility and participate in a hands-on invention contest run by the R&D department. Lucius was always more than happy to play judge for it and announce the winners.

However, every time Bruce brought his own children into the office he ran the risk of a stock market crash. Without fail there were no less than twelve rolling office chairs broken, roughly 200 sticky notes plastered around his office, all of the papers on his desk were in complete chaos, and his secretary threatened to quit at least 5 times a minute. Bruce loved his children, of course he did, they just gave him the mother of all migraines. Particularly when they invaded his office space.

Bruce took a deep breath, mentally preparing himself as he sipped his coffee at the breakfast table. He and Tim would both be going in to work, as usual, but today Dick and Damian would be joining them. He had invited all of his children, but Jason had merely texted him back a picture of his death certificate, Cass had frowned at him, giving him a hug, before explaining that she would like to but she had ballet rehearsals all day, and Steph had looked at him with shock and confusion before mumbling something about having class and wandering out of the cave shaking her head. He was a bit disappointed that they couldn’t all attend but at the same time he was a bit glad that the possible chaos would be pared down.

It was rather nerve-wracking when they insisted on bickering with each other constantly. Especially when the topics of their bickering could range from who used up the toilet paper to who was responsible for waxing the Batmobile next. The latter is really what worried him the most when they were in public.

He had to admit that he was rather grateful that Dick had agreed to be joining them, even if it was stretching the definition of “kid”. With Dick around Bruce knew that Damian and Tim would be slightly more civil with each other. Or at least separated. Bruce just hopped that Tim wasn’t planning on getting anything major accomplished today.

Finishing his coffee Bruce picked up the day’s copy of _The Gotham Gazette_ and shook it open so that he could read the headlines below the fold. There was a crash from somewhere above him in the manor and Bruce restrained himself from releasing a long-suffering sigh. Alfred shared a look with him as he placed the platter of muffins on the table.

“I know,” Bruce muttered, answering the unasked question. “I really do appreciate them wanting to go.”

Alfred raised an eyebrow. “I believe that there is a ‘but’ in there somewhere, Master Bruce.”

“Hnn,” Bruce grunted in reply, flipping the paper open.

“You fear the potential chaos.”

Glancing at the older man Bruce felt the corners of his mouth betray him, lifting into a small smile. “I do not fear the potential chaos, I am extremely familiar with the chaos they are capable of creating. Here and in the cave it is at least contained and that is what I fear.”

“Quite wise, Master Bruce,” Alfred said with a slight chuckle.

Just then there was another crash, closer this time, followed by the sound of running feet and cursing. The running stopped and a few seconds later Damian walked into the dining room, dressed in a suit and tie and looking perfectly composed. Bruce shared another glance with Alfred when he noticed his youngest son’s bright red converse peeking out from the hem of his pants.

“Good morning Father,” Damian said, taking his seat at the table.

Before Bruce could reply the cursing grew louder until it suddenly stopped right outside the dining room door. Tim walked in next, his expression stormy and his glare pinned on Damian. Tim’s dress shirt seemed rumpled and his tie was crooked, although that was nothing unusual. What did cause Bruce to raise his eyebrows was the streaks of glitter in Tim’s hair. The boy flopped himself into his usual seat next to Bruce, continuing to glare at Damian who was seated across from him.

Clearing his throat Bruce set down his paper. “Tim, are you aware there is something in your hair?” He asked this with the same tone he would use when asking about evidence when working on a case.

If possible, Tim’s glare deepened. “Oh yes, exceedingly,” Tim replied icily.

Bruce nodded, reaching for a muffin. He knew that if he waited a few more seconds his sons would give him the reasoning behind why Damian felt the need to put glitter in Tim’s hair.

“You managed to notice that? I’m impressed Drake, as you obviously missed the length to which it has grown. Any longer and you will require hair ties from Brown and Cassandra,” Damian smirked.

“I’ve been busy,” Tim hissed, leaning across the table towards his brother. “Besides, I happen to like it long.” Tim snatched up a muffin as he sat straighter, his posture attempting to defend his haircut.

Damian narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth as if to retort but he was cut off by a hand clamping down on his shoulder. “Whoa there, Timmers. Are you getting in the spirit for Take Your Kid to Work Day?”

Tim slouched, giving Dick an incredulous look while Damian smirked. “I believe that you have Damian to thank for that,” Bruce told Dick dryly. He met his eldest’s gaze over the top of Damian’s head and they shared a quick but silent conversation regarding Damian and Tim’s endless rivalry.

Dick chuckled and ruffled Damian’s hair before taking the seat next to him. He grabbed a muffin and smiled at Tim. “I’ve gotta say that it’s not a bad look on you. I mean you really pull it off Tim.”

Tim rolled his eyes but smiled. “I think it’s from spending so much time with Steph; I almost always have residual glitter on me somewhere thanks to her,” he said with a sigh.

Bruce raised an eyebrow, suddenly both curious and mildly concerned. “Has she managed to perfect that glitter grenade yet?”

“No, thank god. When she does we’re all in trouble.” Tim shook his head and took a sip from his coffee. A collective shudder traveled around the table, the idea of Stephanie Brown with a functioning glitter grenade was scarier than anything Scarecrow’s toxin could conjure up.

Alfred cleared his throat as he came back from the kitchen. “Are you all traveling together then?” he asked mildly.

“Actually, I think I’ll drive. Thank you, Alfred.” Bruce stood, watching as the boys frantically finished their breakfasts. “Tim, would you like to wash the glitter out of your hair? I believe we have enough time,” Bruce said checking his watch with a nod.

“Nah, I’m fine. S’not like I ‘aven’t come in lookin’ weirder,” Tim said, shoving muffin into his mouth. Bruce frowned at his son but recalled some of the incidents Tim was referring to and ultimately had to agree.

Dick seemed to suddenly take stock of what he was wearing, glancing frantically down at his t-shirt and jeans before glancing around at everyone else in their suits. “Am I underdressed?”

“You’re fine Dick,” Bruce assured him.

“Dami, why are you in a suit then?” Bruce couldn’t hide the smirk at the suspicion in Dick’s voice. The suspicion quickly turned to accusation. “You’re plotting something. I know you. Damian, you promised me that you weren’t going to do anything that might mess up the company. Remember last year?”

“-tt- Last year would have been fine had you not felt the need to intervene. Grayson, you are the reason we spent three hours tracking down a thousand ducklings.” Damian raised his chin, attempting to look down his nose at Dick who was still taller than Damian even though he was seated.

Dick rolled his eyes and Bruce had to shake his head slightly to dislodge the flashbacks to the previous year’s incident. “I’m going to at least grab a sweater, make myself feel a little more presentable.”

“Only something that either Babs or Alfred bought for you! I swear Dick, if you embarrass me at work because of your horrendous fashion sense-” Tim was cut off as Dick waved his hand and raced towards the stairs. Tim’s eyes flashed with fear and he turned to Bruce pleadingly.

Bruce frowned at Tim as he began to head toward the garage. “Tim, we both know I have no control over Dick, especially his fashion choices.” Tim glared at his dry delivery and Damian rolled his eyes.

Bruce grabbed the keys to one of the large SUVs and ushered Tim and Damian toward it. They both immediately called shotgun and began squabbling over who got to sit in the front. Dick skidded to a stop next to Bruce, now wearing a dark grey pullover Alfred had given him for Christmas. He took in the two boys arguing and getting increasingly louder in the large, echoing garage with each passing second.

“I have a solution,” Dick leaned into Bruce with a smirk. He held his hand out to Bruce and waggled his fingers. “Keys.”

Bruce raised an eyebrow but dropped the SUV’s keys into his eldest son’s outstretched hand. Dick held them up triumphantly and shook them, catching Tim and Damian’s attention.

“I shall be driving and as such Bruce gets shotgun. That’s the house rule, superseding any other claims and it shall be followed,” Dick sounded smug but Bruce recognized his reasoning. Had either of them picked one of the younger boys to sit in the passenger seat it would have been seen as favoritism and caused hurt feelings. In the past it may have even caused bloodshed but thankfully everyone in the family had (mostly) moved past that.

Tim sighed but good-naturedly crawled into the back. Damian shot Dick a wounded look but it disappeared quickly as he pulled out his phone and put his headphones on, following after Tim. Dick frowned and Bruce clapped him on the shoulder. He gave his eldest a nod before climbing into the car himself and Dick’s frown flickered into slight smile.

The car ride was uneventful and surprisingly quiet. Damian was listening to music on his phone and staring stubbornly out the window. Tim was smiling down at his phone as he texted frantically, likely already having six or seven conversations with Tam, Steph, Cass, and his Titans friends despite the early hour. Dick hummed softly as he drove, an odd mix of showtunes and pop ballads that Bruce couldn’t stop himself from smiling a bit at. Bruce was checking his work email and trying to tamp down his amusement at Diana’s stories from her time on monitor duty in the groupchat the two of them and Clark had.

By the time Dick was pulling into the Wayne Enterprises parking garage Bruce had to bite his cheek to keep from laughing at the texts. He locked his phone and slipped it into his suit pocket as he got out of the car. His three sons seemed to look at him expectantly. “So… what’s the game plan?” Dick asked.

“Well, Tim what did you have planned for the day?”

Tim scratched the back of his head and smiled a bit sheepishly. “Um, I kinda asked Lucius if I could help him with the R&D contest and he, uh, said yes.”

Bruce nodded, he hadn’t been aware of this but was glad to hear that Tim hadn’t intended to close himself off with busy work as he tended to do on Bring Your Kid to Work Day. “Damian? Would you like to accompany me or Tim today? You’re more than welcome to participate in the contest if you’d like to do that instead.”

“I would prefer to shadow you today Father,” Damian said. His expression was serious, but Bruce caught him swallow nervously, as if he thought Bruce would actually tell him he wasn’t allowed to despite offering. Given past years he might understand why Damian might think that but Bruce still didn’t quite understand.

“Of course you can, though I doubt I’ll be getting anything overly interesting done. I think you’ll enjoy coming on my rounds today,” Bruce told him, his lips twitching up in a small smile. Damian returned the smile and all eyes turned to Dick.

“Oh, I’m going to trail after Tim like a lost puppy,” Dick said with a huge grin.

Tim whirled on him in surprise. “Um, what? Why?”

“Cause I got called into work the last time I had off and we were planning to hang out together. So now I’m going to make up for that, sort of. We’ll have like a proper movie day or something later but think of this as a bandaid?” Dick tried to smile at Tim but it slipped into an awkward grimace as Dick rubbed the back of his neck.

Tim blinked at him, creating an awkward pause among the four of them before he finally replied. “Um, ok? Yeah, sure.”

Bruce cleared his throat as he pointedly checked his watch, the three boys rushed towards the elevator and Bruce followed them. His phone buzzed and he fished it out of his pocket as Tim began to describe to Dick what they would being doing that day. Bruce glanced at the text from his secretary and sent a reply that they would be up in a minute as they entered the elevator and Damian jammed the button for the top floor where Bruce’s office was.

That knot that had found a home in the pit of Bruce’s stomach starting the night before began to loosen. The boys were bickering, but it was without malice and about theories for the upcoming third season of some animated show they all watched. As they exited the elevator Bruce’s secretary shot him a warning look and he held up his hands in a placating gesture in response. Dick gave Damian a quick hug that the youngest boy attempted to shake off before nodding to Bruce. Tim gave them both a wave and led Dick off towards the other elevator that led down to the R&D labs.

Bruce turned to Damian who was waiting patiently next to him. “Would you like to visit the folks in accounting or marketing first?”

Damian grinned, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his dress pants. “Marketing. I’d like to see how they intend to rebrand Batman Incorporated this week,” Damian smirked and Bruce chuckled, putting an arm around his son’s shoulder and leading him down the hall.


End file.
